2012 Ram 1500 / Shasta Oasis 310K

I think you'll do ok.
edit:
You just need to make sure you get your hitch set up right. I also find it very beneficial to add air in the tires when towing, especially the rears. You will also need to keep the pan cargo to the barest minimum. All true for a lot of 1/2t trucks.

You'd be overloading your truck by a significant margin.

Especially with half-tons, the trailer towing rating is a misleading and usually moot number. Other ratings, like axle weight ratings or your gross vehicle weight rating will likely be your limiting numbers. Your payload is the biggest concern. You state a payload capacity of 1322 lbs. Add in people, dog and supplies, and you're at 800 lbs, leaving 522 lbs.

What you're calling hitch weight is actually called tongue weight - the weight that the tongue of the trailer will put on your truck when it's connected. You actually do have to take into account the hitch weight - the weight of the ball you're going to insert into your receiver that will connect the truck to the trailer. This is usually at least 40-50 lbs. So that takes you down to 482 lbs that's available for the weight of the trailer tongue.

A properly loaded and balanced trailer should have a tongue weight of about 13% of trailer weight. So a camper with a dry weight of 5700 lbs should have a tongue weight of ~741 lbs. Once you add supplies, food and other gear in the trailer, you're probably adding another 100-200 lbs of tongue weight. That would put the tongue weight closer to 900 lbs.

So, you're ending up with under 500 lbs of available payload for an almost 900-lb tongue weight. You'll be exceeding your GVWR by several hundred pounds, and probably one or both of your axle ratings.

I know some people dismiss the ratings on the door tags and say, "tow what you're comfortable with." My personal experience showed that once I started flirting with the max ratings on my half-ton truck, stuff started breaking while we were on vacation. Forgetting about the inherent safety issues in doing that, you have the added fun of explaining to your family why they have to spend four days in Mitchell, SD instead of Yellowstone Park, waiting for the truck to be repaired.

I have been researching the Ram Trucks line of 1500s (can you say VM Motori Diesel :B )and by no doubt, you will exceed the GVW. That being said, there is a significant cushion in the axle ratings. I will not tell you to exceed and tow unsafely. But, use common sense.

By the way, Tow Ratings are BS numbers, especially with Travel Trailers. Some of the reasons are:

• Higher Tongue Weight
• Very Poor Aerodynamics
• Manufacturer looking to say "I am king!"

Make sure you get some LT tires for that thing. If you got the 20" tires, you are out of luck unless you:

• Get an oversized tire
• Get the one tire made in the Ram 1500 stock size (Nitto DuraGrappler)
• Go to a smaller Rim Size

Be safe and happy camping.

You'll be fine. I'm 7670 lbs dry (includes battery and two full propane tanks) and 820 lbs on the pin. I use an Equal-i-zer 12k hitch. I tow with 500-600 lbs of stuff in the trailer. I have a 2014 Ram 1500 with the 5.7L and 3:92 gears

I'm at the same truck set-up as you are. Mine weighs 8000LBS. No problem. Tows really nice. 2500 miles already since I purchased it in April.

Hitch set-up is everything though.

I think you are fine. It will be close, so watch what you put in the bed of the truck.

I tow 5800 lbs loaded with a pretty heavy tongue weight for my size trailer and the truck only has 3:55 gears. Yours is even better with the 3:92's...LT's tires would also help.

markandkim wrote:
I'm at the same truck set-up as you are. Mine weighs 8000LBS. No problem. Tows really nice. 2500 miles already since I purchased it in April.

Hitch set-up is everything though.

Thanks! What suggestions do you have for hitch set up? Do you mean a particular type of hitch or how its installed?

pspc271 wrote:

markandkim wrote:
I'm at the same truck set-up as you are. Mine weighs 8000LBS. No problem. Tows really nice. 2500 miles already since I purchased it in April.

Hitch set-up is everything though.

Thanks! What suggestions do you have for hitch set up? Do you mean a particular type of hitch or how its installed?

What packerbacker said.

I use a Hensley WD 10k sway control hitch.

Tow ratings are really just a joke.

Lets say your max tow rating is 10 000# and your max payload is 1400 #( Ram 1500 with crew cab and 3.92) Now lets say you carry 15 % of that on the hitch. Therefore your payload is down to negative -100# before you even add any passengers in the "crew" cab.

The ram with a max tow rating of 10,000 # has a "real world' max rating of no more than 6 or 7 k. Wet weight not the dry weight on the side wall.

I was told by two dealers that my Ram could pull our new trailer ( 7100 # dry weight and 900 hitch weight)with a proper WDH. Now I have to buy a new truck since a went to the local cat scales. 400 # over on rear axle and 800 # total. BTW the actual hitch weight when loaded was over 1200# and I was not carrying any water!

I guess I can tow it but I'll need to leave the wife and kids at home and still be over weight:)

Manufactures have to start matching max payloads and max tow ratings!

patdrury wrote:
Tow ratings are really just a joke.

Lets say your max tow rating is 10 000# and your max payload is 1400 #( Ram 1500 with crew cab and 3.92) Now lets say you carry 15 % of that on the hitch. Therefore your payload is down to negative -100# before you even add any passengers in the "crew" cab.

The ram with a max tow rating of 10,000 # has a "real world' max rating of no more than 6 or 7 k. Wet weight not the dry weight on the side wall.

I was told by two dealers that my Ram could pull our new trailer ( 7100 # dry weight and 900 hitch weight)with a proper WDH. Now I have to buy a new truck since a went to the local cat scales. 400 # over on rear axle and 800 # total. BTW the actual hitch weight when loaded was over 1200# and I was not carrying any water!

I guess I can tow it but I'll need to leave the wife and kids at home and still be over weight:)

Manufactures have to start matching max payloads and max tow ratings!

You're just a card-carrying member of the weight police. You think everyone should have an F650 for pulling a popup. Your opinion is invalid.

This is one of the few rigs you approve of: